Almost Unreal
by taitofan
Summary: When Vivi is summoned by the Witch Princess, she insists that Gale come with her to Sunny Island. His life is about to take a sharp turn, and at the center of everything is Vaughn.
1. Chapter 1

Almost Unreal—Chapter One

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for sexual situations

Disclaimer: If I owned Harvest Moon, the next game would be titled, "Harvest Moon: For Gay." But since that's very unlikely, it's safe to say that I don't own the games or characters.

Author's Note: So… Vaughn and Gale. I love them together and by god, I need to attempt to show people why it's awesome. This is in the same continuity as my SkyexCliff fic, but it's extremely unlikely you'll ever need to know anything about that for this fic. Also, if you're wondering, I'm using Island of Happiness over Sunshine Islands. Quite frankly, I don't want to deal with all those islands. There isn't a lot going on with the Animal Parade cast other than Gale and Vivi, but there might be some side ships with the IoH cast. I dunno. Maybe.

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 03-19-12

* * *

_I have a problem_, the letter had said. _Remember, you owe me_.

Though it had been addressed to Vivi, the witch had gone to Gale and insisted that he come along too. Compensation for leaving her as a frog for so long, she'd insisted. He'd agreed, because what else did he have to do? It wasn't like there was anyone in Castanet who would miss him if he left for a while. So he packed what few things he thought he'd need, locked up, and boarded the boat with Vivi without so much as a goodbye.

They were off to Sunny Island.

"I wonder what in the world Lilith could possibly want," the witch wondered with a sigh as she stared down at the waves crashing into the side of the ship. Gale didn't answer, as he hadn't the faintest idea either. They hadn't seen Lilith in almost half a century after all. Vivi didn't seem to expect an answer though, so she continued. "She's the one that insists she's some sort of princess. Honestly, a princess! Can you imagine? If she's some dainty little princess, why doesn't she get her royal subjects to help her? Tch, I'm more of a princess than she'll ever be…"

Of course, they both knew full well that neither of them were princesses, but Lilith had started using the term shortly after they'd met in Harmonica Town so long ago. She had heard Vivi call herself that, back when he and Vivi had only been there a short time after being driven from Gale's old village. Lilith was younger than they were, but full of talent and promise. That was, what? Four centuries ago? The years seemed to blur after a while, so Gale wasn't exactly sure anymore. He wasn't even sure exactly how old he was… Though he wasn't particularly worried about it. He was younger than Vivi and older than Lilith at least.

"That girl…" She continued, not caring that she wasn't getting any answers. "If she'd stayed in Castanet with us, whatever problem she's having wouldn't exist!" And Vivi might not have been a frog for so long, Gale noted, though he didn't bring it up. Though she'd _mostly_ forgiven him for that, it was still a sore spot.

"It…was simply not…the place for her." Vivi reached a pale hand down, feeling the spray of the ocean hit her skin. Gale assumed the conversation was over when she didn't reply. After a few minutes though, she turned to him, a serious look on her face.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's really the place for us too." He wasn't quite sure to say to that, though he had to admit that such a thing happened often, and this time Vivi seemed to want his input.

"You are…upset…about Angela." Her face darkened at the sound of the farmer girl's name, but only for an instant. She didn't say anything more after that, though he hadn't figured she would. Though he really couldn't blame the mortal for inadvertently breaking the witch's heart when she married that carpenter boy. It wasn't as if Vivi had told her…and besides, she should have known better than to get involved with a human anyway. Nothing good could come of that.

Absolutely nothing.

* * *

After a wholly uneventful trip, the mystical duo arrived at the dock of the small island. The ship barely let them disembark before it set off again, leaving them on the beach without a soul around, the cold fall air their only company. While Vivi ranted and raved about Lilith being such a brat for not meeting them, Gale spotted a small shack near the dock and moved close enough to peer inside. Nothing… Gale was a patient man, but even he was a bit perturbed that Lilith hadn't bothered to meet them. How were they supposed to know where the witch lived?

"No use waiting around for that idiot," came a voice from behind Gale. Had the wizard been of a weaker constitution, the sudden voice might have jumped him. "No way to tell how long he'll be out fishing." Gale turned around to face the speaker who'd seemingly appeared out of nowhere. It was a mortal man, rather tall and physically fit, with silver hair and violet eyes. He was dressed like a—what did humans call those…? Oh yes—a cowboy. He was…rather attractive, Gale realized as he looked the man over from head to toe. He quickly brushed such foolish thoughts aside though; the attractiveness of mortals was no concern of his after all.

"We're not looking for some stupid fisherman," Vivi piped up as she walked over to the men, putting her hands to her hips and giving the cowboy an annoyed look. "We're here to find the witch that lives on this island. Take us to her right away!"

The man gave Vivi an incredulous look, and Gale couldn't blame him. Vivi's people skills were just as lacking in his, only in the opposite direction. They weren't going to get anywhere if she acted so rude to everyone, so as much as he really didn't want to…

"Please…forgive her lack of manners. The Witch Princess…sent for us. However…we do not know where she lives. If you could please guide us…?" The man looked at Gale for a few silent moments, before making a dismissive sound and turning around. He began to walk away, but just as Gale saw Vivi open her mouth to yell at him, the man waved his hand, indicating that they should follow him. And so they did.

The man didn't say a word as he led them through a small town, then through a forest at the base of a mountain. Gale was a bit surprised that they were going in so deep. Vivi living so far away from people made sense; she liked to pretend she didn't like anyone. Lilith always liked human though, or at least thought they were amusing. Hadn't she been living in a shack next to a mansion on the last island she inhabited? He wondered what happened there that made her want to hide herself away in this new place.

"Right there." Gale hadn't even noticed that they'd come to a small house, having been too caught up in his musings. Vivi didn't say anything to the man, instead heading straight to the door. The man didn't seem to care, and he turned to leave the way they'd come. Gale briefly considered doing as Vivi had, but it just seemed rude to let him leave like that…

"Thank you…" The man stopped, but didn't turn.

"Hmph, it's fine. Might wanna tell your girlfriend to use some manners though." Girlfriend? Gale would have laughed if he'd been that sort of person. He was sure Vivi would have absolutely cackled in amusement.

"She is…just a friend. I could never…_ever_…think of her that way." The man nodded, and his posture seemed to loosen just a bit. It was strange, and Gale didn't know what to make of it.

"My mistake. …Name's Vaughn by the way." He began to walk again, briskly, as if not to allow Gale time to respond. It was all for the better, he thought, as it was always awkward to have a mortal introduce themselves only to have to tell them that you couldn't tell them your own name. The only living beings who knew him as anything as "Wizard" was a mere two—just Vivi and Lilith. He doubted if he'd ever get to tell it to a mortal, but that was probably for the best anyway.

Gale watched Vaughn leave until there was no sight of him left. Then he slowly followed where Vivi had run off too, a strange tingle of an unfamiliar emotion lingering at the edge of his mind.

* * *

"About time you came inside."

Vivi and Lilith were seated at a wooden table, but that wasn't the first thing Gale noticed. Bears. Why oh why did Lilith have so many teddy bears? He quickly recovered and joined them at the table, deciding that it probably wasn't worth the hassle of asking.

"…Hello Lilith." The blonde witch and the silver-haired witch shared a look, before turning their gazes towards him. "What…?"

"What were you doing out there?" A twinge of confusion settled on Gale's face, confused by Vivi's question. "With that terrible man. What were you doing?"

"I was…just thanking him. He did bring us here after all…" While Vivi looked upset that Gale didn't share her disdain for Vaughn, Lilith seemed curious for reasons unknown to the wizard.

"Vivi told me that Vaughn brought you here. I'm surprised actually. He's not exactly Mr. Personality… But then again, none of _us_ are either." Her smirk wasn't a shock at all. She never had been one to shy away from negative traits, her own or those of others.

"…Why did you call us here?" Gale didn't want to talk of the man who'd lead them there. Why bother? It wasn't like they'd have anything more to do with him anyway. They were there to help Lilith, and nothing more.

"Hey, don't change the sub—"

"Fine," Lilith interrupted. "We'll get back to you later. Right now we need to talk about the Harvest Goddess…"

Gale didn't like the sound of any of that, but he settled down for what was no doubt going to be a long story. When it came to Lilith and the Harvest Goddess, it always was.

* * *

"Vaughn, where have you been? I was getting worried." Mirabelle's expression did indeed look worried, and he didn't doubt her words one bit. That was just the kind of person she was.

"I was just helping some visitors find their way. Nothing special." Mirabelle looked relieved, but the same could not be said about Julia. She looked nothing short of suspicious, and he wasn't sure what reason she had to be acting that way. He didn't like it though, not one bit.

"You were helping some lost strangers get somewhere? Like, leading them there?" Mirabelle shot her daughter a warning look, as if to say, '_If he's showing his soft side, don't you dare discourage him_.' Vaughn decided to pretend he couldn't tell. It wasn't any of their business why he did what he did.

Julia backed off and went to find something to eat, and Vaughn and Mirabelle began going through the paperwork for all the new animals and supplies. Vaughn thought that was the end of it, but it wasn't five minutes later that Julia popped back in, a determined look on her face.

"What were they like?" Vaughn sighed and set down the paper he was reading, giving her his best '_you're being a pest'_ look. It didn't deter her. "The strangers you helped. What were they like and where were they going?"

"A rude woman in bloomers and a dark-skinned man in robes. They were going to see the witch in the forest." He offered no more, but it seemed to be enough for Julia. Though, honestly, he liked the knowing expression even less than her suspicious one.

And, somehow, the fact that she left it like that worried him more than anything else she could have done.


	2. Chapter 2

Almost Unreal—Chapter Two

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for sexual situations

Disclaimer: If I owned Harvest Moon, the next game would be titled, "Harvest Moon: For Gay." But since that's very unlikely, it's safe to say that I don't own the games or characters.

Author's Note: I hope the line I'm walking with Vaughn is acceptable—I'm trying to keep the sugar and ice sides as balanced as I can. Otherwise, all I can say is that if you care about continuity, this chapter takes place the same as the end of chapter 6 of Emotion in Motion.

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 06-06-13

* * *

"What? You really called us all the way here to tell us _that_?" There was something about Lilith's tight smile that made Gale think she was hiding something. It was so much like the expression Vivi wore when she insisted that she was over Angela that he couldn't help but assume she'd gotten spurned by a mortal as well.

"I need to go where that stupid Harvest Goddess has set herself up, and right now she's ignoring this place and moved on to Echo Village. So I need to go there too. It was such a pain coming here from Forget-Me-Not Valley though. That's why I wrote you that letter. I had no idea you were gonna drag Gale here too. I mean, jeez, three people helping me pack and move is kinda overkill…"

She looked thoughtful for a moment while Vivi grumbled more about it not being worth her time. She smirked as an idea came to her, and Gale was almost positive he wasn't going to like the next words out of her mouth.

"It's settled, I'm giving this house to you, Gale!"

It took a lot to truly shock the wizard, but Lilith's "gift" threw him off a bit. More so than that, Vivi's reaction really made him even more speechless than usual.

"Lilith… That's the best idea you've ever had!"

"…What."

The girls ignored him and began to talk to each other faster than Gale could ever hope to keep up with.

It wasn't as if he was surprised that Lilith would make a decision for him, but rather that it would be one so big. He'd lived in Castanet for a long time. How could he just…

Or couldn't he? He didn't have any real ties there, and Lilith's house was very out of the way, so he'd surely be left alone. If he didn't want to do fortune telling anymore, he wouldn't have to. And this island was so untouched that surely the night sky was clear and bright… Maybe this would work after all.

"—and afterward I'll go to Castanet and get Gale's junk sent to him. Maybe I'll even take that dumb house of his…" Gale didn't care if Vivi took his house that he wasn't going to be needing so long as she got his research, books, and telescope to him. He had no doubts that she didn't care about any of that though, so he wasn't worried.

…This was really happening, and he was actually a bit excited, even if he didn't outwardly show it. A new beginning… Yes, that sounded nice.

* * *

Vaughn had left the island the morning after his meeting with the mysterious visitors, and when he returned the next week, he thought nothing of them. After all, they surely must have finished their business with the Witch and gone home. But the moment he entered Mirabelle's shop, Julia rushed over to him with an alarmingly large grin on her face.

"Vaughn! Guess what happened while you were gone?" He was tempted to ask her where his hello was, but he knew he'd never hear the end of it if he acted like he cared. She and Mirabelle both latched onto those things like piranhas.

"What?" he asked instead, not up to playing guessing games. She frowned for but a moment before her grin was firmly back in place.

"The Witches left together, and now the Wizard is living here instead!" Vaughn had assumed the strangers were witches and wizards, and now he had confirmation. He didn't show anything but perfect neutrality though, because he knew exactly where Julia was going with this.

"That so? Your point is _what_ exactly…?" She had that _I'm-not-fooled_ look now, and he didn't like it. He didn't want to hear this, especially not from her.

"Come on, I'm not an idiot. You aren't nice to perfect strangers on a whim. You think he's hot, don't you?" He gave her an impressive glare, but didn't stop smiling. If anything, she just looked more pleased with herself, and it was annoying as all hell.

"…You're out of your mind." She giggled, and as if the universe hated him, Mirabelle chose that moment to walk into the room.

"What's so funny Julia? You aren't teasing Vaughn again, are you? You know you shouldn't; he's very sensitive!" The women shared a laugh at his expense, and he desperately grasped for something to distract them.

"How do you know about all of this anyway? They don't seem like very sociable people." Julia nodded, and he was honestly a bit shocked when she didn't immediately retort with '_you mean like __**you**__?_'

"I saw the Witches leave and went to the Wizard to introduce myself with the others of course! He seemed kinda overwhelmed though, so we've left him alone for now. We don't want to scare him so much he turns into you!" …Well, there it was. Good old Julia, never disappointing him for long. "And don't think you can distract me either! I know you think the Wizard is hot, so you better get to the mountains before you leave and properly introduce yourself!"

…He was seriously going to strangle her one of these days.

"Oh my, so that's what you were giggling about! Vaughn dear, don't look so sour, it's perfectly natural. He is a very handsome man after all! I think it would be a wonderful idea if the two of you became close."

Both of them. He was going to strangle _both_ of them, and no court would ever convict him after they learned why he'd done it.

"…I'm leaving now. I'll come back to do the orders when you two aren't feeling so ridiculous." He ignored their protests to come back and quickly fled the shop. Mirabelle would leave him alone, but Julia… He expected Mirabelle could keep her there for about ten minutes before she'd sneak out and come after him, like the annoying little sister she thought she was to him. If he went to his usual room at the inn, she'd find him. If he went to the town, beach or jungle, she'd find him. But the mountains were so big that surely he could lose her there…

He liked to spend his free time there anyway, so it worked out, and he thought nothing of it when he crossed the bridge to the mountain area. All he thought about was how annoying his "family" was and how he was crazy for always coming back and how wrong they always were and—

And when he found himself outside a familiar house rather than on the mountain proper, he couldn't deny it anymore. The Wizard was absurdly attractive and Vaughn actually wanted to know more about him. It had been a very long time since he'd felt this way, and in fact there had only been a few men to catch his interest _period _in the twenty-six years he'd been alive.

Oh, he knew he was gay and didn't deny that. He wasn't ashamed of himself, and he hadn't hid it since he was a teenager and left home. After his real parents shunned him, he swore he'd never hide who he was or change himself to be like other people. It just wasn't something he went around telling other people either; it wasn't anyone's business. Of everyone on Sunny Island, only Mirabelle and Julia knew, as they were the closest thing to a family he had these days. Sometimes he wished they _didn't_ know, like today, but still…

It was nice to know that they supported him. Even if they were annoying about it.

He stared at the door, wondering how many people had already bugged the poor man who obviously liked to be left alone. Though their meeting had been brief, he could tell that much. Of course, it hadn't really seemed like he disliked being around others—he'd asked for help and had been polite—it was more like he wasn't used to it. If he was a wizard, surely he'd lived for a long time and probably had been like the Witch and didn't interact with humans very often. Maybe he just needed to find the right person to open up to…?

Vaughn almost laughed at the very thought. Right, as if _he_ could be the person to melt the ice with _anyone_. He was rough and impatient and scared people. Every boyfriend he'd ever had—all three of them—had come to the same conclusion. He was bad around people and it just wasn't worth putting up with him in the hopes they'd eventually click. And since Vaughn didn't _do_ casual sex, well, he was very used to being alone.

And even now he was squashing that tiny part of him that insisted he didn't want to be alone anymore.

He turned to go, having decided to leave the Wizard alone. After all, even if somehow they miraculously got along and got together, he was still a human. Why would a wizard ever want to be with a mere human?

"…Hello." Vaughn didn't jump. Well, not visibly at least. He turned back and saw the Wizard standing near the trees, a basket filled with mushrooms and herbs in his hands. Now Vaughn was very glad that he hadn't knocked on the door and felt like a fool waiting for someone who wasn't even home. "I'm… sorry if you were looking for me. May I help you…?"

…Though he guessed just being there was enough to show he had been waiting anyway. He tried not to feel embarrassed, but he couldn't help the slight flush that appeared on his cheeks.

"Just wanted to introduce myself properly since you're living here and all." He really hoped Julia didn't find out about this. "I'm Vaughn, the animal trader around here. I travel to different places and come here on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I don't suppose you'll have much use for livestock, but if you want a pet or something, I can help you out."

The Wizard stared quietly for several long moments, and much to Vaughn's sincere surprise, the man's silence didn't bother him. Normally people who wasted his time were quickly told off, but this time he didn't feel an ounce of ire. He didn't even bother trying to justify the reason when he knew very well why this was.

He had a goddamned crush on the Wizard, Goddess help him. This was going to be _terrible_.

'_Or will it?_' he wondered. He was a man who knew what he wanted, and while interpersonal relationships frequently failed him, it wasn't often he even wanted them. But this time he knew that he _did_ want one; he _did_ want to know more about this mysterious, exotic man. And why would he deny himself what he wanted? He was no blushing schoolgirl; if he wanted this, he was damn well going to attempt to get it, not pine from afar.

"…Thank you."

…Though he could tell it certainly wasn't going to be easy.

"Not a problem. Well, I'll let you be now." He sensed that the conversation was over and turned again to leave. Normally being brushed off made him angry too, but he still felt fine. This man was… Calming. Just being around him seemed to soothe his nerves. And today's progress was fine. He hadn't been completely ignored as the others seemed to have been at least.

"Wait…" Vaughn paused and glanced back. The Wizard was looking off to the side, seemingly having an internal debate. After a few more long moments of this, his hands tightened around his basket. Vaughn couldn't' even imagine why he seemed so tense. Was he really that sick of having visitors? Then why had he asked him to wait? "…Would you like to… come in? I can make coffee…"

Oh. _Well_. This was an interesting turn of events.

"Hnn. Suppose I have the time." The Wizard didn't need to know about Julia, so he made no mention that it wasn't as if he had anywhere to be anyway.

Vaughn had never been into the cottage when the Witch had lived there, so he had no idea what it had looked like before. Now though, it was rather… Empty.

"I don't have… much… My belongings should arrive within the season…" He still had a kettle and a large iron oven though, and he must have left the cottage at some point to buy the coffee. Vaughn hoped he had some milk, because as much as he wanted to start something with this man, he wasn't about to drink his coffee black. Sugar didn't matter, but it was café au lait or no deal.

They said nothing as the Wizard started to brew the coffee, and Vaughn yet again was surprised that the silence wasn't irritating. Sure, he liked it to be quiet, but that was because he liked to be alone. People were usually irritating, and their awkward silences when they were afraid of him were no better than idiots who didn't know when to shut up. It was a thin line, and Vaughn realized he was easily agitated, but the Wizard… He wasn't making him feel that way at all. It was interesting, and it made Vaughn want to know him more.

Then Gale brought out a bottle of milk from a small refrigerator and Vaughn could have declared his intent to marry him if he hadn't thought that would scare him off.

"The girl on the farm… She gave me this as a welcoming present…" He set it before Vaughn and gave him the smallest of smiles. "…Please use it as you see fit."

Not only milk, but milk from Chelsea's ranch? The Wizard was wooing him and he didn't even realize it.

"Thank you kindly." He looked from the bottle, and to the Wizard, who was tending to the coffee. "You don't like milk?" Because that could be a problem with as much as Vaughn loved milk. And it wouldn't hurt to find problem areas.

"No, it's not that… I just… drink it black. I don't have much at the moment to use it in is all… So you might as well use it… so it doesn't go to waste." The coffee was ready shortly, and the Wizard poured some into two mugs, placing one before Vaughn before sitting down at the small table across from him. "There isn't much I really dislike… Other than squid and octopus… So _slimy_."

"Sounds like you like them as much as I like carrots," he said absently as he poured in the milk. The Wizard had only filled it halfway so he could add plenty. He obviously knew his coffee. One sip and that opinion only grew stronger. "This is excellent. You must make a lot of coffee. Most folks around here either make it too strong or it's almost water."

"Thank you… for the compliment." It was the second time the Wizard gave a small smile, and Vaughn couldn't help but think that this was a rare occurrence, and thus this was a good sign. But he wasn't going to get ahead of himself yet.

But by the time he left that evening and headed to the inn, he thought that the long comfortable silences and small bouts of easy small talk had been the most pleasant he'd ever had in an extremely long time. He felt that he knew the Wizard a little better…

He just hoped that he wouldn't mess this up like all the times in the past.

* * *

Gale starred at the door after Vaughn left, wondering how he'd end up in the position. Why had he invited him in? Why had he entertained him for hours? How in the world had this human not found him boring or strange after spending so much time with him, when they spent more time not talking than they _did?_

Well, he knew the answer to the first two questions, but not the last one. But he'd made his decision long ago, and no matter what, he was sticking to it. The witches got into enough trouble chasing after humans. He'd seen firsthand, over and over, how terrible of an idea it was. He wasn't putting himself through that, no matter how attractive the man or how interested said attractive man seemed to be.

Besides, with any luck, by the net time he saw Vaughn, all of these foolish thoughts would be gone.

…But that time certainly hadn't come yet.

Gale sighed and got up to make more coffee. It was going to be a long night…

* * *

The next day, Vaughn didn't have time to do anything except work. He hadn't touched a single paper the entirety of Wednesday, and he had to catch the ship off the island when it left that night. So the moment he woke up, he packed his few belongings in preparation, and set off to Mirabelle's shop.

And he immediately wished he hadn't.

"Vaughn! Where were you yesterday? I looked all over and couldn't find you!" Julia looked worried, and though he did feel a bit guilty, there was no way he was going to tell her.

"I was out," he answered shortly, heading straight for Mirabelle's counter and taking a binder out of his bag. "Don't worry about me, all right? Now I've got a lot of work to do…"

To her credit, Julia did stay quiet as he worked, and Mirabelle didn't say a word unrelated to business. After a while, Julia left without a word, and Vaughn paid her little mind. She was likely going to hang out with her boyfriend, or maybe his sister, who just happened to be Julia's best friend. The siblings could have her—he needed to stay focused.

It wasn't until almost dinnertime before Julia came back. And one look at her face told Vaughn that he wasn't going to like the next words out of her mouth one little bit.

"So after I hung out with Elliot and Natalie, I went and talked to the Wizard…." Vaughn shot up and glared at the girl. She'd seen it so many times that she didn't even flinch.

"Julia, what the hell is your problem? Will you just stay out of my business? Is that so hard for you?" Julia didn't back down. She didn't even stop smiling.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Cause you're practically my brother, and I want you to be happy. And I really want you to feel like you can trust me!" She paused and her smile fell a bit as a look of guilt formed on her face. "I'm sorry I wouldn't stop teasing you. I won't bug you about him anymore… But please, if something happens, won't you trust me enough to tell me?"

"…Fine." Her smile was back tenfold, and Vaughn shook his head with a hint of fondness. Then he noticed Mirabelle looking at them expectantly and he sighed. Well, there was no point hiding it from them he supposed…

"I was with the Wizard most of the day yesterday. He invited me in for coffee and we talked. That's it." He waited a few seconds for them to get disappointed before he continued. "If I have it my way, it'll eventually be more than that." Their response was swift—he found the two women hugging and congratulating him, whether because he found someone he wished to pursue or because he admitted it, he wasn't sure.

All of the touching quickly got annoying… But he let them do it as much as they wanted, just this once.

Sometimes he did miss having a family, even if his family had boiled down to his little brother as his parents were never around. He had cousins on both sides of his family, but he'd never met them. And yes, sometimes he did wonder if he should find his brother and make amends, apologize for leaving and not telling him… But he was determined to leave the past behind him.

These women were his makeshift family now, and they would be his support in his future, whether the Wizard would be in it or not.

'_Sorry Skye_,' he thought as he tentatively drew his arms around Mirabelle and Julia. '_I'm sure you're doing fine without me though_.'

* * *

Gale woke up late Friday morning, an air of determination about him. He had until Wednesday. That was when Vaughn would be back. That was how long he had to convince himself that he was blowing things out of proportion and really, Vaughn wasn't that attractive. Really. His personality was pretty sour too. …Even if he hadn't gotten angry at how slowly he spoke or the long silences… No! He didn't care about Vaughn, and Vaughn didn't care about him.

That girl who'd come to his door the night before—she was mistaken.

"_Look, I know he'll kill me if I tell you this, but… I need to. Vaughn likes you, and that's really rare. And I do mean that he __**likes**__ you. So please, if you don't have any interest, at least try to be his friend. He's lonely, and even that would be enough_."

No, there was no way Vaughn could feel any attraction to him. People in general just weren't interested in him. And that was fine, because he didn't care about them either!

…The fact that he couldn't stop thinking about Vaughn was just a fluke. He'd forget about him by the coming Wednesday, he just knew it.

Because if he didn't, then that meant this attraction was serious, and he was going to have a problem on his hands.


End file.
